Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Mufasa Tours & Kruger Park budget safaris

Johannesburg » Kruger Park Tours

Destination guide

Safaris in Kruger

We sent our travel writer on this tour in order to do a written review for the website. See the Kruger Park at it's best with this 3/Day tour! Starting at R3995

 
Safaris in Kruger
4 Day Kruger Park Tour
Safaris
The four day tour to Kruger National Park (KNP) Safari is an excellent way to discover Africa and the magic it holds. Be prepared for a wild adventure filled with wildlife, excitement and nature at its best!

On a warm summer’s morning in February, our tour group got picked up at their respective spots in and around O. R Tambo Intl. Airport, in a minibus (Africa style!) by our trusted guide, Mynneth. The drive to Kruger National Park in itself was a sightseeing wonder and a great way to learn about the day to day life of bio- and culturally diverse South Africa. We stopped in the scenic town of Dullstroom for a spot of lunch at a beautiful restaurant called “The May-fly” and the drive continued on toward KNP.
By late afternoon, we were dropped off at Tremisana Lodge - situated in the Balulue part of the reserve - where an open vehicle was waiting to take us on a sunset game drive. Within the first half hour of the drive we had seen hippo, waterbuck, zebra, impala, wildebeest and kudu to name a few, but that was only the beginning. The sun was setting behind the mountains and a brilliant display of pink, golden and blue hues bounced off the clouds when our guide took us around to the quaint little chapel, built by a man in honour of his daughter, a tragic yet beautiful tale. We headed onward and then, just as we rounded a corner, we were met by a small herd of elephant busy crossing the dirt road. Halt! Brakes! Whoa! Can’t figure out who was more surprised, the elephants or our tour group. None the less, it was an amazing occurrence to see all the females with their young. As the sky darkened, were escorted back to the lodge, and dinner (a fine chicken dish) was waiting. Not too soon either, it had been a long day and we were starving! After a delicious meal we retired to our rooms, where we were accommodated in absolute comfort – we would’ve had a great night’s sleep too, if it weren’t for the vervet monkeys using the roofs over our heads as jumping castles!
The next morning we were treated to a big, tasty breakfast before we were whisked away to Orpen gate in KNP for a day’s game viewing. Rhino, buffalo, giraffe, elephant, antelope of all shapes and sizes and seriously big golden orb spiders were the order of the day, and as per usual, KNP did not disappoint. By lunchtime, Mynneth took us to Satara Rest camp and we enjoyed a marvellous lunch at the restaurant and an ice cold drink - something that was very necessary, because driving around KNP gets hot! As soon as lunch was done we were off again to explore the more northern parts of the park, that’s when the magic started happening...
After a mere 30 minutes of driving up the road from Satara, Mynneth got the heads up from another passing tour guide that some lionesses were taking advantage of the shade underneath a patch of trees up ahead. We drove in the direction pointed out by the other guide and the anticipation became almost palpable when we saw three cars crowding at the side of the road a few hundred metres in front of us. As we neared the parked cars, Mynneth turned the engine off and everything was suddenly quiet. We squinted to try and see what everyone was ogling, and we saw... nothing. Mynneth grinned. Then he pointed to a small thorn tree and told us to look beneath it, between the long grass. Lo and behold, hidden between the lush bushes, lay three lionesses. The powerful, prowess lionesses panted in the summer heat, flicking tails restlessly in an annoyance of the slowly growing audience with their pointed fingers and clicking cameras. We stood there for a few more moments, awe struck, watching as the lionesses stood up and strolled further into the dense bushveld, obviously looking for more shade and less human attention. Never to be underestimated, the opportunity to see wild lions in their natural habitat is an awe-inspiring one.
Mynneth switched the ignition on again and took us on a leisurely drive back to Orpen Gate, where our next stop on the itinerary was Marc’s Tree House Lodge. Upon our arrival we were met by the smiling face of the lodge’s manageress, Margaret, who told us the we could go make ourselves at home in the boma, where dinner was to be served shortly afterward. Hats off to Delina, a manageress at the lodge and also cook in charge of soup making. Everyone commented on the butternut soup being the yummiest thing they have ever tasted. No lies, the soup was out of this world! With bobotie, turmeric rice and sweet potato served thereafter, main course was just as much of a local delight!
Christo, another guide from Viva Safaris, had the camp fire ready and crackling and soon everyone was sitting around the flames, discussing their trips, their lives and themselves in general until it was bedtime.
Having a slight case of vertigo, I was very relieved to find that I wasn’t put up in one of the high tree houses. The cabin that I’d been given, however, was a sight for sore eyes. The beautifully made bed was adorned by nets and the light from the bedside lamps cast the room in a romantic glow. An en suite bathroom was an added bonus.
While stepping out of the cabin – 07h30; bright and fresh - the following morning, my jaw dropped as I looked to my left. There, walking in a leisurely fashion was a female Kudu and her calf.
Completely undaunted by my presence, looking for something to graze on, they strolled along as if they don’t grasp the concept of predator at all. What a fantastic start to the day!
After a sturdy and well prepared breakfast, an action packed day ensued, which included a thrilling game walk and an afternoon game drive.  Dinner consisted of pea soup, again prepared to perfection, then traditional pap, wors and steak was served as main course; and this was rounded off nicely with a scrumptious banana bake pudding with custard.
 The highlight of the tour though, was by far the stop at the Blyde River Canyon when we were making our way back to Johannesburg on the last day. The viewpoint from “Three Rondavels” is, for lack of better words, astonishingly dramatic. Being the third biggest canyon in the world, after the Grand Canyon in the USA and the Fish river Canyon in Namibia, you can imagine what striking beauty this magical place possesses. Trying to explain it on paper, in words printed in black on white, cannot do it justice. You have to go see it for yourself...
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Written by Joni Tollner.

Email: joni@mufasabackpackers.com
 

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